Orientable battery for a surgical instrument

ABSTRACT

Various embodiments are directed to battery packs for use with surgical instruments. The battery packs may comprise a plurality of cells and at least a portion of the plurality of cells may not be electrically connected to one another. The battery packs may comprise a switch or other mechanism for interconnecting the plurality of cells and may also comprise, or be used in conjunction with, a discharge switch or plug configured to electrically connect an anode of the battery pack to a cathode of the battery pack, for example, via a resistive element.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation application claiming priority under35 U.S.C. §120 to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/884,838, entitledSURGICAL INSTRUMENTS AND BATTERIES FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS, filed Sep.17, 2010, now U.S. Patent Publication No. 2012/0071711, the entiredisclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

A growing number of surgical instruments are powered by one or morebattery cells. Such instruments include a variety of electricallypowered implements and may be used in a variety of surgicalenvironments. For example, battery-powered surgical instruments mayinclude motor-driven implements (cutters, graspers, staplers, etc.)and/or non-motor driven implements (e.g., RF cutter/coagulators,ultrasonic cutter/coagulators, laser cutter/coagulators, etc.).Battery-powered instruments are also used now in various differentsurgical environments including, for example, endoscopic environments,laparoscopic environments, open environments, etc.

Battery-powered surgical instruments often utilize primary cells, whichare pre-charged and often intended for a single discharge (e.g., oneuse). This avoids the difficulties associated with re-sterilizing andrecharging secondary, rechargeable cells. Primary cells, however,present additional challenges related to shipping, storage and disposal.

SUMMARY

Various embodiments may be directed to a surgical instrument comprisingan end effector and a handle operatively coupled to the end effector.The handle may comprise a trigger to actuate the end effector and mayalso define a first cavity having a first asymmetrical cross-sectionalshape and a second cavity having a second asymmetrical cross-sectionalshape. A first battery pack may be positioned within the first cavityand may be in electrical contact with at least one of the handle and theend effector. The first battery pack may comprise: a first casing havinga cross-sectional shape corresponding to the first asymmetricalcross-sectional shape, and a first plurality of cells electricallycoupled to one another and positioned within the first casing. A secondbattery pack may be positioned within the second cavity and may be inelectrical contact with at least one of the handle and the end effector.The second battery pack may comprise: a second casing having across-sectional shape corresponding to the second asymmetricalcross-sectional shape, and a second plurality of cells electricallycoupled to one another and positioned within the second casing.

Also, various embodiments may be directed to a surgical systemcomprising a battery pack. The battery pack may comprise a casing and aplurality of cells positioned within the casing. At least a portion ofthe plurality of cells may not be electrically connected to one another.The battery pack may also comprise a first switch having an openposition and a closed position. In the closed position, the first switchmay electrically interconnect the plurality of cells. The first switchmay be mechanically biased to the open position. The battery pack mayfurther comprise a discharge switch having an open position and a closedposition. The discharge switch may be positioned to, when in the closedposition, electrically connect an anode of the battery pack to a cathodeof the battery pack. The discharge switch may be mechanically biased tothe closed position, and may be held in the open position by a portionof the casing.

According to various embodiments, the battery pack may comprise aplurality of cells, where at least a portion of the plurality of cellsare not electrically connected to one another. The battery pack mayfurther comprise a casing defining an interior cavity having at leastone interior cavity wall. The at least one interior cavity wall maycomprise a first electrode electrically connected to an anode of thebattery pack and a second electrode electrically connected to a cathodeof the battery pack. The battery pack may further comprise a batterydrain positioned within the interior cavity. The battery drain maycomprises first and second contacts electrically connected to oneanother and in contact with the at least one interior cavity wall. Thebattery drain may be positionable at a first position within theinterior cavity where the first and second contacts are not inelectrical contact with the first and second electrodes and at a secondposition where the first contact is in electrical contact with the firstelectrode and the second contact is in electrical contact with thesecond electrode.

Additionally, various embodiments may be directed to a surgicalinstrument comprising an end effector, a handle operatively coupled tothe end effector, and a battery pack. The handle may comprise a triggerto actuate the end effector, and may define a cavity. The battery packmay be positioned within the cavity and may be in electrical contactwith at least one of the handle and the end effector. Further, thebattery pack may comprise a casing; a plurality of cells; and a movabletab. The movable tab may have a first position where it electricallyseparates at least a portion of the plurality of cells, and a secondposition where it does not electrically separate the plurality of cells.

DRAWINGS

The features of the various embodiments are set forth with particularityin the appended claims. The various embodiments, however, both as toorganization and methods of operation, together with advantages thereof,may best be understood by reference to the following description, takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings as follows:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views of one embodiment of a surgicalcutting and fastening instrument;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of one embodiment of the end effector of thesurgical cutting and fastening instrument of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are exploded views of one embodiment of the end effectorand shaft of the surgical cutting and fastening instrument of FIGS. 1and 2.

FIG. 6 is a side view of one embodiment the end effector of the surgicalcutting and fastening instrument of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of one embodiment of a motor-drivenendocutter.

FIGS. 8 and 9 are partial perspective views of one embodiment of thehandle of the endocutter of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is a side view of one embodiment of the handle of the endocutterof FIG. 7.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of an electricalcircuit of a surgical cutting and fastening instrument.

FIG. 12 is a side-view of a handle of one embodiment of a power-assistmotorized endocutter.

FIG. 13 is a side-view of a handle of another embodiment of apower-assist motorized endocutter.

FIGS. 14 and 15 show one embodiment of a closure trigger lockingmechanism.

FIG. 16 shows another embodiment of a closure trigger locking mechanism

FIGS. 17-22 show another embodiment of a closure trigger lockingmechanism.

FIGS. 23A-B show one embodiment of a universal joint (“u-joint”) thatmay be employed at the articulation point of a surgical instrument.

FIGS. 24A-B show one embodiment of a torsion cable that may be employedat an articulation point of a surgical instrument.

FIGS. 25-31 illustrate another embodiment of a motorized, two-strokesurgical cutting and fastening instrument with power assist.

FIGS. 32-36 illustrate one embodiment of a two-stroke, motorizedsurgical cutting and fastening instrument with power assist.

FIGS. 37-40 illustrate one embodiment of a motorized surgical cuttingand fastening instrument with such a tactile position feedback system.

FIGS. 41 and 42 illustrate two states of one embodiment of a variablesensor that may be used as the run motor sensor.

FIG. 43 illustrates one embodiment of a surgical instrument comprising apair of asymmetrical battery packs.

FIG. 44 illustrates one embodiment of a battery pack outside of thehandle of the surgical instrument of FIG. 43.

FIG. 45 illustrates one embodiment of a handle of the surgicalinstrument of FIG. 43 illustrating cavities for receiving battery packs.

FIG. 46 illustrates one embodiment of the battery pack of FIG. 44showing a positive electrode contact and a negative electrode contact.

FIG. 47 illustrates one embodiment of the battery pack of FIG. 44 inconjunction with a discharge plug.

FIG. 48 illustrates a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a surgicalinstrument and a battery pack.

FIG. 49 illustrates an alternate embodiment of the battery pack andsurgical instrument shown in FIG. 48.

FIG. 50 illustrates another embodiment of the battery pack of FIG. 48.

FIGS. 51-53 illustrate one mechanical embodiment of a battery packimplementing the schematic of the battery pack shown in FIG. 48.

FIGS. 54-59 illustrate another mechanical embodiment of a battery pack800 implementing the schematic of the battery pack shown in FIG. 48.

FIGS. 60 and 61 illustrates one embodiment of the battery drain of FIGS.57-58 removed from the casing.

DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments are directed to battery powered surgical instrumentsand batteries comprising features for facilitating shipping, storage anddisposal. For example, according to one embodiment, a battery pack maycomprise a plurality of cells mechanically and electrically coupledtogether within a casing having an asymmetric cross-sectional shape. Thenumber and type of cells within the casing may be selected to reduce thepower of potential accidental discharges below a threshold level. Asurgical instrument for use with the battery pack may comprise a handledefining a plurality of cavities. Each cavity may have an asymmetriccross-sectional shape and at least one of the cavities may have anasymmetric cross-section shape sized to receive the battery pack. Anadditional cavity and/or cavities may house additional battery packs.According to various embodiments, grouping multiple cells within asingle casing may reduce inconveniences associated with loading eachcell into the handle individually. At the same time, limiting the numberof cells grouped together may reduce safety hazards during shipping,storage and disposal.

According to various embodiments, a surgical instrument may utilize oneor more battery packs, each comprising a plurality of cells and at leastone switch for electrically connecting the plurality of cells. Theswitch may have an open position, where the cells are electricallydisconnected from one another, and a closed position where the cells areelectrically connected to one another. The switch may transition fromthe open position to the closed position when the battery pack isinstalled in a surgical instrument. In this way, surgical instrument mayutilize power associated with a multi-cell battery. At the same time,however, the battery pack may be shipped with the switch in the openposition to mitigate the available energy for a short and/or arc and,thereby, mitigate safety hazards during shipping, storage and disposal.In certain embodiments, batteries and cells described herein may havedischarge switches for connecting a load across the terminals of thebattery or cell to discharge the battery. For example, the dischargeswitch may be closed prior to disposal. In this way, the battery maydischarged either prior to disposal or shortly thereafter. Accordingly,battery safety hazards due to disposal may be mitigated.

Prior to describing embodiments of the cells, batteries, battery packs,and associated surgical instruments, a detailed description of anexample embodiments of a battery powered surgical instrument isprovided. Although the surgical instruments described herein comprisemotorized implements for cutting and stapling, it will be appreciatedthat the battery configurations described herein may be used with anysuitable type of electrical surgical instrument including, for example,cutters, claspers, staplers, RF cutter/coagulators, ultrasoniccutter/coagulators, laser cutter/coagulators, etc.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views of one embodiment of a surgicalcutting and fastening instrument 10. The illustrated embodiment is anendoscopic instrument and, in general, the embodiments of the instrument10 described herein are endoscopic surgical cutting and fasteninginstruments. It should be noted, however, that according to otherembodiments, the instrument may be a non-endoscopic surgical cutting andfastening instrument, such as a laparoscopic or open surgicalinstrument.

The surgical instrument 10 depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a handle6, a shaft 8, and an articulating end effector 12 pivotally connected tothe shaft 8 at an articulation pivot 14. An articulation control 16 maybe provided adjacent to the handle 6 to effect rotation of the endeffector 12 about the articulation pivot 14. In the illustratedembodiment, the end effector 12 is configured to act as an endocutterfor clamping, severing and stapling tissue, although, in otherembodiments, different types of end effectors may be used, such as endeffectors for other types of surgical devices, such as graspers,cutters, staplers, clip appliers, access devices, drug/gene therapydevices, ultrasound, RF or laser devices, etc.

The handle 6 of the instrument 10 may include a closure trigger 18 and afiring trigger 20 for actuating the end effector 12. It will beappreciated that instruments having end effectors directed to differentsurgical tasks may have different numbers or types of triggers or othersuitable controls for operating the end effector 12. The end effector 12is shown separated from the handle 6 by a preferably elongate shaft 8.In one embodiment, a clinician or operator of the instrument 10 mayarticulate the end effector 12 relative to the shaft 8 by utilizing thearticulation control 16, as described in more detail in pending U.S.patent application Ser. No. 11/329,020, filed Jan. 10, 2006, entitled“Surgical Instrument Having An Articulating End Effector,” by GeoffreyC. Hueil et al., now U.S. Pat. No. 7,670,334, which is incorporatedherein by reference.

The end effector 12 includes in this example, among other things, astaple channel 22 and a pivotally translatable clamping member, such asan anvil 24, which are maintained at a spacing that assures effectivestapling and severing of tissue clamped in the end effector 12. Thehandle 6 includes a pistol grip 26 towards which a closure trigger 18 ispivotally drawn by the clinician to cause clamping or closing of theanvil 24 toward the staple channel 22 of the end effector 12 to therebyclamp tissue positioned between the anvil 24 and channel 22. The firingtrigger 20 is farther outboard of the closure trigger 18. Once theclosure trigger 18 is locked in the closure position as furtherdescribed below, the firing trigger 20 may rotate slightly toward thepistol grip 26 so that it can be reached by the operator using one hand.Then the operator may pivotally draw the firing trigger 20 toward thepistol grip 26 to cause the stapling and severing of clamped tissue inthe end effector 12. In other embodiments, different types of clampingmembers besides the anvil 24 could be used, such as, for example, anopposing jaw, etc.

It will be appreciated that the terms “proximal” and “distal” are usedherein with reference to a clinician gripping the handle 6 of aninstrument 10. Thus, the end effector 12 is distal with respect to themore proximal handle 6. It will be further appreciated that, forconvenience and clarity, spatial terms such as “vertical” and“horizontal” are used herein with respect to the drawings. However,surgical instruments are used in many orientations and positions, andthese terms are not intended to be limiting and absolute.

The closure trigger 18 may be actuated first. Once the clinician issatisfied with the positioning of the end effector 12, the clinician maydraw back the closure trigger 18 to its fully closed, locked positionproximate to the pistol grip 26. The firing trigger 20 may then beactuated. The firing trigger 20 returns to the open position (shown inFIGS. 1 and 2) when the clinician removes pressure, as described morefully below. A release button 160 on the handle 6, and in this example,on the pistol grip 26 of the handle 6, when depressed may release thelocked closure trigger 18.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of one embodiment of the end effector 12. Asshown in the illustrated embodiment, the end effector 12 may include, inaddition to the previously-mentioned channel 22 and anvil 24, a cuttinginstrument 32, a sled 33, a staple cartridge 34 that is removably seatedin the channel 22, and a helical screw shaft 36. The cutting instrument32 may be, for example, a knife. The anvil 24 may be pivotably openedand closed at a pivot point 25 connected to the proximate end of thechannel 22. The anvil 24 may also include a tab 27 at its proximate endthat is inserted into a component of the mechanical closure system(described further below) to open and close the anvil 24. When theclosure trigger 18 is actuated, that is, drawn in by a user of theinstrument 10, the anvil 24 may pivot about the pivot point 25 into theclamped or closed position. If clamping of the end effector 12 issatisfactory, the operator may actuate the firing trigger 20, which, asexplained in more detail below, causes the knife 32 and sled 33 totravel longitudinally along the channel 22, thereby cutting tissueclamped within the end effector 12. The movement of the sled 33 alongthe channel 22 causes the staples of the staple cartridge 34 to bedriven through the severed tissue and against the closed anvil 24, whichturns the staples to fasten the severed tissue. U.S. Pat. No. 6,978,921,entitled “Surgical Stapling Instrument Incorporating An E-Beam FiringMechanism,” which is incorporated herein by reference, provides moredetails about such two-stroke cutting and fastening instruments.According to various embodiments, the sled 33 may be an integral part ofthe cartridge 34, such that when the knife 32 refracts following thecutting operation, the sled 33 does not retract.

It should be noted that although the embodiments of the instrument 10described herein employ an end effector 12 that staples the severedtissue, in other embodiments different techniques for fastening orsealing the severed tissue may be used. For example, end effectors thatuse RF energy or adhesives to fasten the severed tissue may also beused. U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,811, entitled “Electrosurgical HemostaticDevice,” which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a cuttinginstrument that uses RF energy to fasten the severed tissue. U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/267,811, entitled “Surgical Stapling InstrumentsStructured For Delivery Of Medical Agents”, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,673,783and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/267,383, entitled “SurgicalStapling Instruments Structured For Pump-Assisted Delivery Of MedicalAgents,” now U.S. Pat. No. 7,607,557, both of which are alsoincorporated herein by reference, disclose cutting instruments that useadhesives to fasten the severed tissue. Accordingly, although thedescription herein refers to cutting/stapling operations and the likebelow, it should be recognized that this is an example embodiment and isnot meant to be limiting. Other tissue-fastening techniques may also beused.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are exploded views and FIG. 6 is a side view of oneembodiment of the end effector 12 and shaft 8. As shown in theillustrated embodiment, the shaft 8 may include a proximate closure tube40 and a distal closure tube 42 pivotably linked by a pivot links 44.The distal closure tube 42 includes an opening 45 into which the tab 27on the anvil 24 is inserted in order to open and close the anvil 24, asfurther described below. Disposed inside the closure tubes 40, 42 may bea proximate spine tube 46. Disposed inside the proximate spine tube 46may be a main rotational (or proximate) drive shaft 48 that communicateswith a secondary (or distal) drive shaft 50 via a bevel gear assembly52. The secondary drive shaft 50 is connected to a drive gear 54 thatengages a proximate drive gear 56 of the helical screw shaft 36. Whenthe main drive shaft 48 is caused to rotate by actuation of the firingtrigger 20 (as explained in more detail below), the bevel gear assembly52 a-c causes the secondary drive shaft 50 to rotate, which in turn,because of the engagement of the drive gears 54, 56, causes the helicalscrew shaft 36 to rotate, which causes the knife/sled driving member 32to travel longitudinally along the channel 22 to cut any tissue clampedwithin the end effector 12. The vertical bevel gear 52 b may sit andpivot in an opening 57 in the distal end of the proximate spine tube 46.A distal spine tube 58 may be used to enclose the secondary drive shaft50 and the drive gears 54, 56. Collectively, the main drive shaft 48,the secondary drive shaft 50, and the articulation assembly (e.g., thebevel gear assembly 52 a-c) are sometimes referred to herein as the“main drive shaft assembly.”

A bearing 38 is threaded on the helical drive screw 36. The bearing 36is also connected to the knife 32. When the helical drive screw 36forward rotates, the bearing 38 traverses the helical drive screw 36distally, driving the cutting instrument 32 and, in the process, thesled 33 to perform the cutting/stapling operation. The sled 33 may bemade of, for example, plastic, and may have a sloped distal surface. Asthe sled 33 traverses the channel 22, the sloped forward surface maypush up or drive the staples in the staple cartridge 34 through theclamped tissue and against the anvil 24. The anvil 24 turns the staples,thereby stapling the severed tissue. When the knife 32 is retracted, theknife 32 and sled 33 may become disengaged, thereby leaving the sled 33at the distal end of the channel 22.

Because of the lack of user feedback for the cutting/stapling operation,there is a general lack of acceptance among physicians of motor-drivensurgical instruments where the cutting/stapling operation is actuated bymerely pressing a button. In contrast, various embodiments may provide amotor-driven endocutter with user-feedback of the deployment, force,and/or position of the cutting instrument in the end effector.

FIGS. 7-10 illustrate one embodiment of a motor-driven endocutter, andin particular the handle 6 thereof, that provides user-feedbackregarding the deployment and loading force of the cutting instrument inthe end effector. In addition, the embodiment may use power provided bythe user in retracting the firing trigger 20 to power the device (aso-called “power assist” mode). As shown in the illustrated embodiment,the handle 6 includes exterior lower side pieces 59, 60 and exteriorupper side pieces 61, 62 that fit together to form, in general, theexterior of the handle 6. A battery 64, such as a Li ion battery, may beprovided in the pistol grip portion 26 of the handle 6. Although thebattery 64 is illustrated as containing a single cell, it will beappreciated that the battery 64, in some embodiments, may includemultiple cells connected together. The battery 64 may power a motor 65disposed in an upper portion of the pistol grip portion 26 of the handle6. According to various embodiments, the motor 65 may be a DC brusheddriving motor having a maximum rotation of, approximately, 5000 RPM. Themotor 65 may drive a 90° bevel gear assembly 66 comprising a first bevelgear 68 and a second bevel gear 70. The bevel gear assembly 66 may drivea planetary gear assembly 72. The planetary gear assembly 72 may includea pinion gear 74 connected to a drive shaft 76. The pinion gear 74 maydrive a mating ring gear 78 that drives a helical gear drum 80 via adrive shaft 82. A ring 84 may be threaded on the helical gear drum 80.Thus, when the motor 65 rotates, the ring 84 is caused to travel alongthe helical gear drum 80 by means of the interposed bevel gear assembly66, planetary gear assembly 72 and ring gear 78.

The handle 6 may also include a run motor sensor 110 in communicationwith the firing trigger 20 to detect when the firing trigger 20 has beendrawn in (or “closed”) toward the pistol grip portion 26 of the handle 6by the operator to thereby actuate the cutting/stapling operation by theend effector 12. The sensor 110 may be a proportional sensor such as,for example, a rheostat or variable resistor. When the firing trigger 20is drawn in, the sensor 110 detects the movement, and sends anelectrical signal indicative of the voltage (or power) to be supplied tothe motor 65. When the sensor 110 is a variable resistor or the like,the rotation of the motor 65 may be generally proportional to the amountof movement of the firing trigger 20. That is, if the operator onlydraws or closes the firing trigger 20 in a little bit, the rotation ofthe motor 65 is relatively low. When the firing trigger 20 is fullydrawn in (or in the fully closed position), the rotation of the motor 65is at its maximum. In other words, the harder the user pulls on thefiring trigger 20, the more voltage is applied to the motor 65, causinggreater rates of rotation.

The handle 6 may include a middle handle piece 104 adjacent to the upperportion of the firing trigger 20. The handle 6 also may comprise a biasspring 112 connected between posts on the middle handle piece 104 andthe firing trigger 20. The bias spring 112 may bias the firing trigger20 to its fully open position. In that way, when the operator releasesthe firing trigger 20, the bias spring 112 will pull the firing trigger20 to its open position, thereby removing actuation of the sensor 110,thereby stopping rotation of the motor 65. Moreover, by virtue of thebias spring 112, any time a user closes the firing trigger 20, the userwill experience resistance to the closing operation, thereby providingthe user with feedback as to the amount of rotation exerted by the motor65. Further, the operator could stop retracting the firing trigger 20 tothereby remove force from the sensor 100, to thereby stop the motor 65.As such, the user may stop the deployment of the end effector 12,thereby providing a measure of control of the cutting/fasteningoperation to the operator.

The distal end of the helical gear drum 80 includes a distal drive shaft120 that drives a ring gear 122, which mates with a pinion gear 124. Thepinion gear 124 is connected to the main drive shaft 48 of the maindrive shaft assembly. In that way, rotation of the motor 65 causes themain drive shaft assembly to rotate, which causes actuation of the endeffector 12, as described above.

The ring 84 threaded on the helical gear drum 80 may include a post 86that is disposed within a slot 88 of a slotted arm 90. The slotted arm90 has an opening 92 its opposite end 94 that receives a pivot pin 96that is connected between the handle exterior side pieces 59, 60. Thepivot pin 96 is also disposed through an opening 100 in the firingtrigger 20 and an opening 102 in the middle handle piece 104.

In addition, the handle 6 may include a reverse motor (or end-of-strokesensor) 130 and a stop motor (or beginning-of-stroke) sensor 142. Invarious embodiments, the reverse motor sensor 130 may be a limit switchlocated at the distal end of the helical gear drum 80 such that the ring84 threaded on the helical gear drum 80 contacts and trips the reversemotor sensor 130 when the ring 84 reaches the distal end of the helicalgear drum 80. The reverse motor sensor 130, when activated, sends asignal to the motor 65 to reverse its rotation direction, therebywithdrawing the knife 32 of the end effector 12 following the cuttingoperation.

The stop motor sensor 142 may be, for example, a normally-closed limitswitch. In various embodiments, it may be located at the proximate endof the helical gear drum 80 so that the ring 84 trips the switch 142when the ring 84 reaches the proximate end of the helical gear drum 80.

In operation, when an operator of the instrument 10 pulls back thefiring trigger 20, the sensor 110 detects the deployment of the firingtrigger 20 and sends a signal to the motor 65 to cause forward rotationof the motor 65 at, for example, a rate proportional to how hard theoperator pulls back the firing trigger 20. The forward rotation of themotor 65 in turn causes the ring gear 78 at the distal end of theplanetary gear assembly 72 to rotate, thereby causing the helical geardrum 80 to rotate, causing the ring 84 threaded on the helical gear drum80 to travel distally along the helical gear drum 80. The rotation ofthe helical gear drum 80 also drives the main drive shaft assembly asdescribed above, which in turn causes deployment of the knife 32 in theend effector 12. That is, the knife 32 and sled 33 are caused totraverse the channel 22 longitudinally, thereby cutting tissue clampedin the end effector 12. Also, the stapling operation of the end effector12 is caused to happen in embodiments where a stapling-type end effectoris used.

By the time the cutting/stapling operation of the end effector 12 iscomplete, the ring 84 on the helical gear drum 80 will have reached thedistal end of the helical gear drum 80, thereby causing the reversemotor sensor 130 to be tripped, which sends a signal to the motor 65 tocause the motor 65 to reverse its rotation. This in turn causes theknife 32 to retract, and also causes the ring 84 on the helical geardrum 80 to move back to the proximate end of the helical gear drum 80.

The middle handle piece 104 includes a backside shoulder 106 thatengages the slotted arm 90 as best shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. The middlehandle piece 104 also has a forward motion stop 107 that engages thefiring trigger 20. The movement of the slotted arm 90 is controlled, asexplained above, by rotation of the motor 65. When the slotted arm 90rotates CCW as the ring 84 travels from the proximate end of the helicalgear drum 80 to the distal end, the middle handle piece 104 will be freeto rotate CCW. Thus, as the user draws in the firing trigger 20, thefiring trigger 20 will engage the forward motion stop 107 of the middlehandle piece 104, causing the middle handle piece 104 to rotate CCW. Dueto the backside shoulder 106 engaging the slotted arm 90, however, themiddle handle piece 104 will only be able to rotate CCW as far as theslotted arm 90 permits. In that way, if the motor 65 should stoprotating for some reason, the slotted arm 90 will stop rotating, and theuser will not be able to further draw in the firing trigger 20 becausethe middle handle piece 104 will not be free to rotate CCW due to theslotted arm 90.

FIGS. 41 and 42 illustrate two states of one embodiment of a variablesensor that may be used as the run motor sensor 110. The sensor 110 mayinclude a face portion 280, a first electrode (A) 282, a secondelectrode (B) 284, and a compressible dielectric material 286 (e.g.,EAP) between the electrodes 282, 284. The sensor 110 may be positionedsuch that the face portion 280 contacts the firing trigger 20 whenretracted. Accordingly, when the firing trigger 20 is retracted, thedielectric material 286 is compressed, as shown in FIG. 42, such thatthe electrodes 282, 284 are closer together. Since the distance “b”between the electrodes 282, 284 is directly related to the impedancebetween the electrodes 282, 284, the greater the distance the moreimpedance, and the closer the distance the less impedance. In that way,the amount that the dielectric material 286 is compressed due toretraction of the firing trigger 20 (denoted as force “F” in FIG. 42) isproportional to the impedance between the electrodes 282, 284, which canbe used to proportionally control the motor 65.

Components of an example closure system for closing (or clamping) theanvil 24 of the end effector 12 by retracting the closure trigger 18 arealso shown in FIGS. 7-10. In the illustrated embodiment, the closuresystem includes a yoke 250 connected to the closure trigger 18 by a pin251 that is inserted through aligned openings in both the closuretrigger 18 and the yoke 250. A pivot pin 252, about which the closuretrigger 18 pivots, is inserted through another opening in the closuretrigger 18 which is offset from where the pin 251 is inserted throughthe closure trigger 18. Thus, refraction of the closure trigger 18causes the upper part of the closure trigger 18, to which the yoke 250is attached via the pin 251, to rotate CCW. The distal end of the yoke250 is connected, via a pin 254, to a first closure bracket 256. Thefirst closure bracket 256 connects to a second closure bracket 258.Collectively, the closure brackets 256, 258 define an opening in whichthe proximate end of the proximate closure tube 40 (see FIG. 4) isseated and held such that longitudinal movement of the closure brackets256, 258 causes longitudinal motion by the proximate closure tube 40.The instrument 10 also includes a closure rod 260 disposed inside theproximate closure tube 40. The closure rod 260 may include a window 261into which a post 263 on one of the handle exterior pieces, such asexterior lower side piece 59 in the illustrated embodiment, is disposedto fixedly connect the closure rod 260 to the handle 6. In that way, theproximate closure tube 40 is capable of moving longitudinally relativeto the closure rod 260. The closure rod 260 may also include a distalcollar 267 that fits into a cavity 269 in proximate spine tube 46 and isretained therein by a cap 271 (see FIG. 4).

In operation, when the yoke 250 rotates due to retraction of the closuretrigger 18, the closure brackets 256, 258 cause the proximate closuretube 40 to move distally (e.g., away from the handle end of theinstrument 10), which causes the distal closure tube 42 to movedistally, which causes the anvil 24 to rotate about the pivot point 25into the clamped or closed position. When the closure trigger 18 isunlocked from the locked position, the proximate closure tube 40 iscaused to slide proximally, which causes the distal closure tube 42 toslide proximally, which by virtue of the tab 27 being inserted in thewindow 45 of the distal closure tube 42, causes the anvil 24 to pivotabout the pivot point 25 into the open or unclamped position. In thatway, by retracting and locking the closure trigger 18, an operator mayclamp tissue between the anvil 24 and channel 22, and may unclamp thetissue following the cutting/stapling operation by unlocking the closuretrigger 18 from the locked position.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of an electricalcircuit of the instrument 10. When an operator initially pulls in thefiring trigger 20 after locking the closure trigger 18, the sensor 110is activated, allowing current to flow therethrough. If thenormally-open reverse motor sensor switch 130 is open (meaning the endof the end effector stroke has not been reached), current will flow to asingle pole, double throw relay 132. Since the reverse motor sensorswitch 130 is not closed, the coil 134 of the relay 132 will not beenergized, so the relay 132 will be in its non-energized state. Thecircuit also includes a cartridge lockout sensor switch 136. If the endeffector 12 includes a staple cartridge 34, the sensor switch 136 willbe in the closed state, allowing current to flow. Otherwise, if the endeffector 12 does not include a staple cartridge 34, the sensor switch136 will be open, thereby preventing the battery 64 from powering themotor 65.

When the staple cartridge 34 is present, the sensor switch 136 isclosed, which energizes a single pole, single throw relay 138. When therelay 138 is energized, current flows through the relay 138, through thevariable resistor sensor 110, and to the motor 65 via a double pole,double throw relay 140, thereby powering the motor 65 and allowing it torotate in the forward direction.

When the end effector 12 reaches the end of its stroke, the reversemotor sensor 130 will be activated, thereby closing the switch 130 andenergizing the relay 132. This causes the relay 132 to assume itsenergized state (not shown in FIG. 11), which causes current to bypassthe cartridge lockout sensor switch 136 and variable resistor 110, andinstead causes current to flow to both the normally-closed double pole,double throw relay 140 and back to the motor 65, but in a manner, viathe relay 140, that causes the motor 65 to reverse its rotationaldirection.

Because the stop motor sensor switch 142 is normally-closed, currentwill flow back to the relay 132 to keep it energized until the switch142 opens. When the knife 32 is fully retracted, the stop motor sensorswitch 142 is activated, causing the switch 142 to open, therebyremoving power from the motor 65.

In other embodiments, rather than a proportional-type sensor 110, anon-off type sensor could be used. In such embodiments, the rate ofrotation of the motor 65 would not be proportional to the force appliedby the operator. Rather, the motor 65 would generally rotate at aconstant rate. But the operator would still experience force feedbackbecause the firing trigger 20 is geared into the gear drive train.

FIG. 12 is a side-view of the handle 6 of a power-assist motorizedendocutter according to another embodiment. The embodiment of FIG. 12 issimilar to that of FIGS. 7-10 except that in the embodiment of FIG. 12,there is no slotted arm 90 connected to the ring 84 threaded on thehelical gear drum 80. Instead, in the embodiment of FIG. 12, the ring 84includes a sensor portion 114 that moves with the ring 84 as the ring 84advances down (and back) on the helical gear drum 80. The sensor portion114 includes a notch 116. The reverse motor sensor 130 may be located atthe distal end of the notch 116 and the stop motor sensor 142 may belocated at the proximate end of the notch 116. As the ring 84 moves downthe helical gear drum 80 (and back), the sensor portion 114 moves withit. Further, as shown in FIG. 12, the middle piece 104 may have an arm118 that extends into the notch 116.

In operation, as an operator of the instrument 10 retracts in the firingtrigger 20 toward the pistol grip 26, the run motor sensor 110 detectsthe motion and sends a signal to power the motor 65, which causes, amongother things, the helical gear drum 80 to rotate. As the helical geardrum 80 rotates, the ring 84 threaded on the helical gear drum 80advances (or retracts, depending on the rotation). Also, due to thepulling in of the firing trigger 20, the middle piece 104 is caused torotate CCW with the firing trigger 20 due to the forward motion stop 107that engages the firing trigger 20. The CCW rotation of the middle piece104 cause the arm 118 to rotate CCW with the sensor portion 114 of thering 84 such that the arm 118 stays disposed in the notch 116. When thering 84 reaches the distal end of the helical gear drum 80, the arm 118will contact and thereby trip the reverse motor sensor 130. Similarly,when the ring 84 reaches the proximate end of the helical gear drum 80,the arm 118 will contact and thereby trip the stop motor sensor 142.Such actions may reverse and stop the motor 65, respectively, asdescribed above.

FIG. 13 is a side-view of the handle 6 of a power-assist motorizedendocutter according to another embodiment. The embodiment of FIG. 13 issimilar to that of FIGS. 7-10 except that in the embodiment of FIG. 13,there is no slot in the arm 90. Instead, the ring 84 threaded on thehelical gear drum 80 includes a vertical channel 126. Instead of a slot,the arm 90 includes a post 128 that is disposed in the channel 126. Asthe helical gear drum 80 rotates, the ring 84 threaded on the helicalgear drum 80 advances (or retracts, depending on the rotation). The arm90 rotates CCW as the ring 84 advances due to the post 128 beingdisposed in the channel 126, as shown in FIG. 13.

As mentioned above, in using a two-stroke motorized instrument, theoperator first pulls back and locks the closure trigger 18. FIGS. 14 and15 show one embodiment of a closure trigger 18 locking mechanism forlocking the closure trigger 18 to the pistol grip portion 26 of thehandle 6. In the illustrated embodiment, the pistol grip portion 26includes a hook 150 that is biased to rotate CCW about a pivot point 151by a torsion spring 152. Also, the closure trigger 18 includes a closurebar 154. As the operator draws in the closure trigger 18, the closurebar 154 engages a sloped portion 156 of the hook 150, thereby rotatingthe hook 150 upward (or CW in FIGS. 14-15) until the closure bar 154completely passes the sloped portion 156 into a recessed notch 158 ofthe hook 150, which locks the closure trigger 18 in place. The operatormay release the closure trigger 18 by pushing down on a slide buttonrelease 160 on the back or opposite side of the pistol grip portion 26.Pushing down the slide button release 160 rotates the hook 150 CW suchthat the closure bar 154 is released from the recessed notch 158.

FIG. 16 shows another closure trigger locking mechanism according tovarious embodiments. In the embodiment of FIG. 16, the closure trigger18 includes a wedge 160 having an arrow-head portion 161. The arrow-headportion 161 is biased downward (or CW) by a leaf spring 162. The wedge160 and leaf spring 162 may be made from, for example, molded plastic.When the closure trigger 18 is retracted, the arrow-head portion 161 isinserted through an opening 164 in the pistol grip portion 26 of thehandle 6. A lower chamfered surface 166 of the arrow-head portion 161engages a lower sidewall 168 of the opening 164, forcing the arrow-headportion 161 to rotate CCW. Eventually the lower chamfered surface 166fully passes the lower sidewall 168, removing the CCW force on thearrow-head portion 161, causing the lower sidewall 168 to slip into alocked position in a notch 170 behind the arrow-head portion 161.

To unlock the closure trigger 18, a user presses down on a button 172 onthe opposite side of the closure trigger 18, causing the arrow-headportion 161 to rotate CCW and allowing the arrow-head portion 161 toslide out of the opening 164.

FIGS. 17-22 show another embodiment of a closure trigger lockingmechanism. As shown in this embodiment, the closure trigger 18 includesa flexible longitudinal arm 176 that includes a lateral pin 178extending therefrom. The arm 176 and pin 178 may be made from moldedplastic, for example. The pistol grip portion 26 of the handle 6includes an opening 180 with a laterally extending wedge 182 disposedtherein. When the closure trigger 18 is retracted, the pin 178 engagesthe wedge 182, and the pin 178 is forced downward (e.g., the arm 176 isrotated CW) by the lower surface 184 of the wedge 182, as shown in FIGS.17 and 18. When the pin 178 fully passes the lower surface 184, the CWforce on the arm 176 is removed, and the pin 178 is rotated CCW suchthat the pin 178 comes to rest in a notch 186 behind the wedge 182, asshown in FIG. 19, thereby locking the closure trigger 18. The pin 178 isfurther held in place in the locked position by a flexible stop 188extending from the wedge 184.

To unlock the closure trigger 18, the operator may further squeeze theclosure trigger 18, causing the pin 178 to engage a sloped backwall 190of the opening 180, forcing the pin 178 upward past the flexible stop188, as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21. The pin 178 is then free to travel outan upper channel 192 in the opening 180 such that the closure trigger 18is no longer locked to the pistol grip portion 26, as shown in FIG. 22.

FIGS. 23A-B show a universal joint (“u-joint”) 195 that may be employedat the articulation point of a surgical instrument, such as theinstrument 10. The second piece 195-2 of the u-joint 195 rotates in ahorizontal plane in which the first piece 195-1 lies. FIG. 23A shows theu-joint 195 in a linear (180°) orientation and FIG. 23B shows theu-joint 195 at approximately a 150° orientation. The u-joint 195 may beused instead of the bevel gears 52 a-c (see FIG. 4, for example) at thearticulation point 14 of the main drive shaft assembly to articulate theend effector 12. FIGS. 24A-B show a torsion cable 197 that may be usedin lieu of both the bevel gears 52 a-c and the u-joint 195 to realizearticulation of the end effector 12.

FIGS. 25-31 illustrate another embodiment of a motorized, two-strokesurgical cutting and fastening instrument 10 with power assist. Theembodiment of FIGS. 25-31 is similar to that of FIGS. 6-10 except thatinstead of the helical gear drum 80, the embodiment of FIGS. 25-31includes an alternative gear drive assembly. The embodiment of FIGS.25-31 includes a gear box assembly 200 including a number of gearsdisposed in a frame 201, wherein the gears are connected between theplanetary gear 72 and the pinion gear 124 at the proximate end of thedrive shaft 48. As explained further below, the gear box assembly 200provides feedback to the user via the firing trigger 20 regarding thedeployment and loading force of the end effector 12. Also, the user mayprovide power to the system via the gear box assembly 200 to assist thedeployment of the end effector 12. In that sense, like the embodimentsdescribed above, the embodiment of FIGS. 25-31 is another power assist,motorized instrument 10 that provides feedback to the user regarding theloading force experienced by the cutting instrument 32.

In the illustrated embodiment, the firing trigger 20 includes twopieces: a main body portion 202 and a stiffening portion 204. The mainbody portion 202 may be made of plastic, for example, and the stiffeningportion 204 may be made out of a more rigid material, such as metal. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the stiffening portion 204 is adjacent tothe main body portion 202, but according to other embodiments, thestiffening portion 204 could be disposed inside the main body portion202. A pivot pin 207 may be inserted through openings in the firingtrigger pieces 202, 204 and may be the point about which the firingtrigger 20 rotates. In addition, a spring 222 may bias the firingtrigger 20 to rotate in a CCW direction. The spring 222 may have adistal end connected to a pin 224 that is connected to the pieces 202,204 of the firing trigger 20. The proximate end of the spring 222 may beconnected to one of the handle exterior lower side pieces 59, 60.

In the illustrated embodiment, both the main body portion 202 and thestiffening portion 204 include gear portions 206, 208 (respectively) attheir upper end portions. The gear portions 206, 208 engage a gear inthe gear box assembly 200, as explained below, to drive the main driveshaft assembly and to provide feedback to the user regarding thedeployment of the end effector 12.

The gear box assembly 200 may include as shown, in the illustratedembodiment, six (6) gears. A first gear 210 of the gear box assembly 200engages the gear portions 206, 208 of the firing trigger 20. Inaddition, the first gear 210 engages a smaller second gear 212, thesmaller second gear 212 being coaxial with a large third gear 214. Thethird gear 214 engages a smaller fourth gear 216, the smaller fourthgear 216 being coaxial with a fifth gear 218. The fifth gear 218 is a90° bevel gear that engages a mating 90° bevel gear 220 (best shown inFIG. 31) that is connected to the pinion gear 124 that drives the maindrive shaft 48.

In operation, when the user retracts the firing trigger 20, a run motorsensor (not shown) is activated, which may provide a signal to the motor65 to rotate at a rate proportional to the extent or force with whichthe operator is retracting the firing trigger 20. This causes the motor65 to rotate at a speed proportional to the signal from the sensor. Thesensor is not shown for this embodiment, but it could be similar to therun motor sensor 110 described above. The sensor could be located in thehandle 6 such that it is depressed when the firing trigger 20 isretracted. Also, instead of a proportional-type sensor, an on/off typesensor may be used.

Rotation of the motor 65 causes the bevel gears 66, 70 to rotate, whichcauses the planetary gear 72 to rotate, which causes, via the driveshaft 76, the ring gear 122 to rotate. The ring gear 122 meshes with thepinion gear 124, which is connected to the main drive shaft 48. Thus,rotation of the pinion gear 124 drives the main drive shaft 48, whichcauses actuation of the cutting/stapling operation of the end effector12.

Forward rotation of the pinion gear 124 in turn causes the bevel gear220 to rotate, which causes, by way of the rest of the gears of the gearbox assembly 200, the first gear 210 to rotate. The first gear 210engages the gear portions 206, 208 of the firing trigger 20, therebycausing the firing trigger 20 to rotate CCW when the motor 65 providesforward drive for the end effector 12 (and to rotate CCW when the motor65 rotates in reverse to retract the end effector 12). In that way, theuser experiences feedback regarding loading force and deployment of theend effector 12 by way of the user's grip on the firing trigger 20.Thus, when the user retracts the firing trigger 20, the operator willexperience a resistance related to the load force experienced by the endeffector 12. Similarly, when the operator releases the firing trigger 20after the cutting/stapling operation so that it can return to itsoriginal position, the user will experience a CW rotation force from thefiring trigger 20 that is generally proportional to the reverse speed ofthe motor 65.

It should also be noted that in this embodiment the user can apply force(either in lieu of or in addition to the force from the motor 65) toactuate the main drive shaft assembly (and hence the cutting/staplingoperation of the end effector 12) through retracting the firing trigger20. That is, retracting the firing trigger 20 causes the gear portions206, 208 to rotate CCW, which causes the gears of the gear box assembly200 to rotate, thereby causing the pinion gear 124 to rotate, whichcauses the main drive shaft 48 to rotate.

Although not shown in FIGS. 25-31, the instrument 10 may further includereverse motor and stop motor sensors. As described above, the reversemotor and stop motor sensors may detect, respectively, the end of thecutting stroke (full deployment of the knife 32 and sled 33) and the endof retraction operation (full retraction of the knife 32). A circuitsimilar to that described above in connection with FIG. 11 may be usedto appropriately power the motor 65.

FIGS. 32-36 illustrate another embodiment of a two-stroke, motorizedsurgical cutting and fastening instrument 10 with power assist. Theembodiment of FIGS. 32-36 is similar to that of FIGS. 25-31 except thatin the embodiment of FIGS. 32-36, the firing trigger 20 includes a lowerportion 228 and an upper portion 230. Both portions 228, 230 areconnected to and pivot about a pivot pin 207 that is disposed througheach portion 228, 230. The upper portion 230 includes a gear portion 232that engages the first gear 210 of the gear box assembly 200. The spring222 is connected to the upper portion 230 such that the upper portion isbiased to rotate in the CW direction. The upper portion 230 may alsoinclude a lower arm 234 that contacts an upper surface of the lowerportion 228 of the firing trigger 20 such that when the upper portion230 is caused to rotate CW the lower portion 228 also rotates CW, andwhen the lower portion 228 rotates CCW the upper portion 230 alsorotates CCW. Similarly, the lower portion 228 includes a rotational stop238 that engages a lower shoulder of the upper portion 230. In that way,when the upper portion 230 is caused to rotate CCW the lower portion 228also rotates CCW, and when the lower portion 228 rotates CW the upperportion 230 also rotates CW.

The illustrated embodiment also includes the run motor sensor 110 thatcommunicates a signal to the motor 65 that, in various embodiments, maycause the motor 65 to rotate at a speed proportional to the forceapplied by the operator when retracting the firing trigger 20. Thesensor 110 may be, for example, a rheostat or some other variableresistance sensor, as explained herein. In addition, the instrument 10may include a reverse motor sensor 130 that is tripped or switched whencontacted by a front face 242 of the upper portion 230 of the firingtrigger 20. When activated, the reverse motor sensor 130 sends a signalto the motor 65 to reverse direction. Also, the instrument 10 mayinclude a stop motor sensor 142 that is tripped or actuated whencontacted by the lower portion 228 of the firing trigger 20. Whenactivated, the stop motor sensor 142 sends a signal to stop the reverserotation of the motor 65.

In operation, when an operator retracts the closure trigger 18 into thelocked position, the firing trigger 20 is retracted slightly (throughmechanisms known in the art, including U.S. Pat. No. 6,978,921, entitled“Surgical Stapling Instrument Incorporating An E-Beam Firing Mechanism”and U.S. Pat. No. 6,905,057, entitled “Surgical Stapling InstrumentIncorporating A Firing Mechanism Having A Linked Rack Transmission,”both of which are incorporated herein by reference) so that the user cangrasp the firing trigger 20 to initiate the cutting/stapling operation,as shown in FIGS. 32 and 33. At that point, as shown in FIG. 33, thegear portion 232 of the upper portion 230 of the firing trigger 20 movesinto engagement with the first gear 210 of the gear box assembly 200.When the operator retracts the firing trigger 20, according to variousembodiments, the firing trigger 20 may rotate a small amount, such asfive degrees, before tripping the run motor sensor 110, as shown in FIG.34. Activation of the sensor 110 causes the motor 65 to forward rotateat a rate proportional to the retraction force applied by the operator.The forward rotation of the motor 65 causes, as described above, themain drive shaft 48 to rotate, which causes the knife 32 in the endeffector 12 to be deployed (e.g., begin traversing the channel 22).Rotation of the pinion gear 124, which is connected to the main driveshaft 48, causes the gears 210-220 in the gear box assembly 200 torotate. Since the first gear 210 is in engagement with the gear portion232 of the upper portion 230 of the firing trigger 20, the upper portion230 is caused to rotate CCW, which causes the lower portion 228 to alsorotate CCW.

When the knife 32 is fully deployed (e.g., at the end of the cuttingstroke), the front face 242 of the upper portion 230 trips the reversemotor sensor 130, which sends a signal to the motor 65 to reverserotational direction. This causes the main drive shaft assembly toreverse rotational direction to retract the knife 32. Reverse rotationof the main drive shaft assembly causes the gears 210-220 in the gearbox assembly to reverse direction, which causes the upper portion 230 ofthe firing trigger 20 to rotate CW, which causes the lower portion 228of the firing trigger 20 to rotate CW until the front face 242 of theupper portion 230 trips or actuates the stop motor sensor 142 when theknife 32 is fully retracted, which causes the motor 65 to stop. In thatway, the user experiences feedback regarding deployment of the endeffector 12 by way of the user's grip on the firing trigger 20. Thus,when the user refracts the firing trigger 20, the operator willexperience a resistance related to the deployment of the end effector 12and, in particular, to the loading force experienced by the knife 32.Similarly, when the operator releases the firing trigger 20 after thecutting/stapling operation so that it can return to its originalposition, the user will experience a CW rotation force from the firingtrigger 20 that is generally proportional to the reverse speed of themotor 65.

It should also be noted that in this embodiment the user can apply force(either in lieu of or in addition to the force from the motor 65) toactuate the main drive shaft assembly (and hence the cutting/staplingoperation of the end effector 12) through retracting the firing trigger20. That is, retracting the firing trigger 20 causes the gear portion232 of the upper portion 230 to rotate CCW, which causes the gears ofthe gear box assembly 200 to rotate, thereby causing the pinion gear 124to rotate, which causes the main drive shaft assembly to rotate.

The above-described embodiments employed power-assist user feedbacksystems, with or without adaptive control (e.g., using a sensor 110,130, and 142 outside of the closed loop system of the motor, gear drivetrain, and end effector) for a two-stroke, motorized surgical cuttingand fastening instrument. That is, force applied by the user inretracting the firing trigger 20 may be added to the force applied bythe motor 65 by virtue of the firing trigger 20 being geared into(either directly or indirectly) the gear drive train between the motor65 and the main drive shaft 48. In other embodiments, the user may beprovided with tactile feedback regarding the position of the knife 32 inthe end effector 12, but without having the firing trigger 20 gearedinto the gear drive train. FIGS. 37-40 illustrate one embodiment of amotorized surgical cutting and fastening instrument 10 with such atactile position feedback system.

In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 37-40, the firing trigger 20 mayhave a lower portion 228 and an upper portion 230, similar to theinstrument 10 shown in FIGS. 32-36. Unlike the embodiment of FIG. 32-36,however, the upper portion 230 does not have a gear portion that mateswith part of the gear drive train. Instead, the instrument 10 includes asecond motor 265 with a threaded rod 266 threaded therein. The threadedrod 266 reciprocates longitudinally in and out of the motor 265 as themotor 265 rotates, depending on the direction of rotation. Theinstrument 10 also includes an encoder 268 that is responsive to therotations of the main drive shaft 48 for translating the incrementalangular motion of the main drive shaft 48 (or other component of themain drive assembly) into a corresponding series of digital signals, forexample. In the illustrated embodiment, the pinion gear 124 includes aproximate drive shaft 270 that connects to the encoder 268.

The instrument 10 also includes a control circuit (not shown), which maybe implemented using a microcontroller or some other type of integratedcircuit, that receives the digital signals from the encoder 268. Basedon the signals from the encoder 268, the control circuit may calculatethe stage of deployment of the knife 32 in the end effector 12. That is,the control circuit can calculate if the knife 32 is fully deployed,fully retracted, or at an intermittent stage. Based on the calculationof the stage of deployment of the end effector 12, the control circuitmay send a signal to the second motor 265 to control its rotation tothereby control the reciprocating movement of the threaded rod 266.

In operation, as shown in FIG. 37, when the closure trigger 18 is notlocked into the clamped position, the firing trigger 20 rotated awayfrom the pistol grip portion 26 of the handle 6 such that the front face242 of the upper portion 230 of the firing trigger 20 is not in contactwith the proximate end of the threaded rod 266. When the operatorretracts the closure trigger 18 and locks it in the clamped position,the firing trigger 20 rotates slightly towards the closure trigger 18 sothat the operator can grasp the firing trigger 20, as shown in FIG. 38.In this position, the front face 242 of the upper portion 230 contactsthe proximate end of the threaded rod 266.

As the user then retracts the firing trigger 20, after an initialrotational amount (e.g., 5 degrees of rotation) the run motor sensor 110may be activated such that, as explained above, the sensor 110 sends asignal to the motor 65 to cause it to rotate at a forward speedproportional to the amount of retraction force applied by the operatorto the firing trigger 20. Forward rotation of the motor 65 causes themain drive shaft 48 to rotate via the gear drive train, which causes theknife 32 and sled 33 to travel down the channel 22 and sever tissueclamped in the end effector 12. The control circuit receives the outputsignals from the encoder 268 regarding the incremental rotations of themain drive shaft assembly and sends a signal to the second motor 265 tocause the second motor 265 to rotate, which causes the threaded rod 266to retract into the motor 265. This allows the upper portion 230 of thefiring trigger 20 to rotate CCW, which allows the lower portion 228 ofthe firing trigger to also rotate CCW. In that way, because thereciprocating movement of the threaded rod 266 is related to therotations of the main drive shaft assembly, the operator of theinstrument 10, by way of his/her grip on the firing trigger 20,experiences tactile feedback as to the position of the end effector 12.The retraction force applied by the operator, however, does not directlyaffect the drive of the main drive shaft assembly because the firingtrigger 20 is not geared into the gear drive train in this embodiment.

By virtue of tracking the incremental rotations of the main drive shaftassembly via the output signals from the encoder 268, the controlcircuit can calculate when the knife 32 is fully deployed (e.g., fullyextended). At this point, the control circuit may send a signal to themotor 65 to reverse direction to cause retraction of the knife 32. Thereverse direction of the motor 65 causes the rotation of the main driveshaft assembly to reverse direction, which is also detected by theencoder 268. Based on the reverse rotation detected by the encoder 268,the control circuit sends a signal to the second motor 265 to cause itto reverse rotational direction such that the threaded rod 266 starts toextend longitudinally from the motor 265. This motion forces the upperportion 230 of the firing trigger 20 to rotate CW, which causes thelower portion 228 to rotate CW. In that way, the operator may experiencea CW force from the firing trigger 20, which provides feedback to theoperator as to the retraction position of the knife 32 in the endeffector 12. The control circuit can determine when the knife 32 isfully retracted. At this point, the control circuit may send a signal tothe motor 65 to stop rotation.

According to other embodiments, rather than having the control circuitdetermine the position of the knife 32, reverse motor and stop motorsensors may be used, as described above. In addition, rather than usinga proportional sensor 110 to control the rotation of the motor 65, anon/off switch or sensor can be used. In such an embodiment, the operatorwould not be able to control the rate of rotation of the motor 65.Rather, it would rotate at a preprogrammed rate.

FIGS. 43-61 herein describe embodiments of batteries and batteryconfigurations for use with powered surgical devices. The batteries andbattery configurations described below may be utilized with any suitablepowered surgical instrument including for example, the instrumentembodiments described above. In addition to or instead of thefunctionality of the embodiments described herein above surgicalinstruments utilizing the batteries and battery configurations of FIG.43-61 may comprise end effectors for cutting, clasping, laser cuttingand/or coagulation, RF cutting and/or coagulation, ultrasonic cuttingand/or coagulation, etc. Additional details regarding surgicalinstruments and battery units are described in U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/884,995, entitled, “POWER CONTROL ARRANGEMENTS FOR SURGICALINSTRUMENTS AND BATTERIES,” filed Sep. 17, 2010, now U.S. PatentPublication No. 2012/0071866, which is incorporated herein by referencein its entirety.

FIG. 43 illustrates one embodiment of a surgical instrument 500comprising a pair of asymmetrically-shaped battery packs 506. Theinstrument 500 may comprise a handle 502, a trigger 504 and an endeffector 501. According to various embodiments, the handle 502, trigger504 and end effector 501 may operate in a manner similar to that of thevarious handles 6, triggers, 18, 20 and end effectors 12 describedherein. In addition to or instead of the functionality described hereinabove, the end effector 501 may comprise surgical implements forcutting, clasping, laser cutting and/or coagulation, RF cutting and/orcoagulation, ultrasonic cutting and/or coagulation, etc.

The handle 502 of the instrument 502 may house battery packs 506, asshown. The battery packs 506 may be electrically connected to and mayprovide power to a circuit 514 of the instrument 500. The circuit may belocated in the handle 502, as shown, in the end effector 501, or in anycombination of locations within the instrument 500. In use, the circuit514 may power the operation of at least one surgical implement at theend effector 501. For example, the circuit 514 may comprise an electricmotor for operating an electrically powered cutter, clasper, or othermechanical device. In addition to, or instead of a motor, the circuit514 may comprise suitable circuit components for implementing an RF,ultrasonic, or other type of non-motor-powered surgical implement.

FIG. 44 illustrates one embodiment of a battery pack 506 outside of thehandle 502. The battery pack 506 may have an asymmetric cross-sectionalshape. For example, in the embodiment pictured in FIG. 44, the batterypack 506 has a half-ovaloid shape. It will be appreciated that otherasymmetric cross-sectional shapes could be used. As illustrated, thebattery pack 506 comprises three cells 508. The cells 508 may be anysuitable type of cell including, for example, lithium-ion cells such asthe CR123-type cell and/or the CR2-type cell. The cells 508 may beelectrically connected to one another in series or parallel. The numberof cells 508 may be chosen to the power of any accidental discharge fromthe battery pack 506. For example, the number of connected cells 508 maybe selected such that the cumulative energy available to an arc or shortis less than the energy required to ignite common shipping and/orpacking materials. According to various embodiments, this value may bedefined by appropriate government regulations.

FIG. 45 illustrates one embodiment of the handle 502 illustratingcavities 510, 512 for receiving the battery packs 506. The cavities 510,512 may have an asymmetric cross-sectional shape corresponding to thecross-sectional shape of the battery packs 506. This may allow thebattery packs 506 to be received within the cavities 510, 512, asillustrated in FIG. 43. An interior portion 529 of the cavity 510 isalso shown in FIG. 45. A wall 530 may comprise contacts 532, 534. Thecontacts 532, 534 may be connected to the circuit 514 and may beconfigured to connect the battery pack 506 to the circuit 514 when thebattery pack 506 is installed in the cavity 510. It will be appreciatedthat cavity 512 may comprise a similar interior portion and similarcontacts. Illustration of these elements is omitted in FIG. 45, however,for clarity.

FIG. 46 illustrates one embodiment of the battery pack of 506 showingpositive electrode contact 518 and negative electrode contact 520. Uponinsertion of the battery pack 506 within the cavity 510, the electrodecontacts 518 and 520 may connect to the contacts 532, 534, illustratedin FIG. 45, to establish a connection between the battery pack 506 andthe circuit 514. The electrode contacts 518, 520 are illustrated on afirst end 522 of the battery pack 506. It will be appreciated, however,that the electrode contacts 518, 520 may be positioned on any othersurface of the battery pack 506 including, for example, the end 524,flat face 526 and/or curved face 528. Accordingly, the contacts 532, 534may be positioned on a corresponding surface of the interior portion 529of the cavity 510.

The asymmetric cross sectional shape of the battery packs 506 and thecavities 510, 512 may ensure that the battery packs 506 are insertedinto the instrument 500 with the correct polarity. For example, due toits asymmetric cross-sectional shape, the end 522 of the battery pack506 may fit into the cavity 510 of the handle 502 in only oneorientation, ensuring that the correct electrodes 518, 520, 532, 534 arein contact with one another. Similarly, the end 522 of the battery pack506 may fit into the cavity 512 in only one orientation. Because thecross-sectional shape of the cavity 512 is reciprocal to that of thecavity 510, the orientation of the electrode contacts 518, 520 may bereversed in the cavity 512 relative to the cavity 510. Accordingly, whenthe cavities 510, 512 have reciprocal cross-sectional shapes, asillustrated, the position of the contacts (not shown) within the cavity512 may also be reversed to ensure correct polarity.

The clinician may be relied upon to recognize that the end 522 of thebattery pack 506 with the electrodes 518, 520 is properly inserted intothe cavities 510, 512. According to various embodiments, however, theform of the battery pack 506 may be manipulated to make it difficult orimpossible for the end 524 of the battery pack 506 to be inserted intothe cavities 510, 512. For example, in FIG. 46, the battery pack 506 isshown with an optional flange 522 at the end 524. The flange 522 mayextend beyond the battery pack 506 to ensure that the end 524 cannot beinserted into one of the cavities 510, 512. Although the instrument 500illustrated utilizes two battery packs 506 and defines two cavities 510,512, it will be appreciated that more or additional battery packs andcorresponding cavities may be used.

FIG. 47 illustrates one embodiment of the battery pack 506 inconjunction with a discharge plug 540. The discharge plug 540 may beattached to the end 522 of the battery pack 506, for example, after useof the battery pack 506 is complete. In certain embodiments, thedischarge plug 540 may have a cross-sectional area slightly larger thanthat of the battery pack 506 and may slide over the end 522. Thedischarge plug may comprise electrode contacts 542, 546 electricallyconnected to one another via a resistive element 546. The resistiveelement 546 may be any suitable resistive element having any suitableelectrical resistance and/or impedance. With the discharge in place, theelectrode contacts 542, 546 may contact positive and negative electrodecontacts 518, 520. This may place the resistive element 546 in serieswith the battery pack 506, causing the battery to drain. In this way,the battery pack 506 may be drained either prior to or during disposal,reducing hazard disposal.

FIG. 48 illustrates a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a surgicalinstrument 602 and a battery pack 600. The surgical instrument 602 mayoperate in a manner similar to that of the surgical instruments 10, 500described herein above. For example, the instrument 602 may be anysuitable type of surgical instrument utilizing battery power including,for example, instruments having motorized implements for cutting,motorized implements for stapling, RF implements for cutting and/orcoagulating, ultrasonic implements for cutting and/or coagulating, laserimplements for cutting/coagulating, etc. The surgical instrument 602 maycomprise a pair of electrodes 604, 606, which, when the battery pack 600is connected to the surgical instrument 603, may connect with a pair ofelectrodes 608, 610 of the battery pack 600.

The battery pack 600 may comprise a plurality of cells 612. The cells612 may be any suitable type of cell. According to various embodiments,the cells may be lithium-ion cells such as the CR123-type cell and/orthe CR2-type cell. A switch 614 may have an open position and a closedposition. The switch 614 may be any suitable type of mechanical or solidstate switch. When the switch 614 is in the open position, the cells 612may be electrically disconnected from one another. When the switch 614is in the closed position, the cells 612 may be electrically connectedto one another. For example, in FIG. 48, the cells 612 are shownconnected in parallel. In various embodiments, however, the cells 612may be connected in series or in any other desirable configuration. Theswitch 614 may be engaged to the closed position at the time that thebattery pack 600 is connected to the surgical instrument 602. Forexample, the switch 614 may be manually engaged by a clinician using thesurgical instrument 602 either before or after the battery pack 600 isconnected to the instrument 602. Also, according to various embodiments,the switch 614 may be engaged to the closed position automatically whenthe battery pack 600 is connected to the instrument 602 (e.g., byplacing at least a portion of the battery pack 600 within the surgicalinstrument 602).

The battery pack 600 may also comprise a discharge system 616. Thedischarge system 616 may comprise a discharge switch 618 and a resistiveelement 620. The resistive element 620 may be any suitable resistiveelement having any suitable electrical resistance and/or impedance. Thedischarge switch 618 may have an open position and a closed position.When the discharge switch is in the open position, the resistive element620 may not be electrically connected to the battery pack. When thedischarge switch 618 is in the closed position, the resistive element620 may be electrically connected across the cells 612 of the batterypack 600. In this way, the cells 612 may drain when the discharge switchis closed 618. The discharge switch 620 may be any type of mechanical orsolid state switch. The discharge switch 618 may be manually orautomatically transitioned from the open to the closed position, forexample, upon installation of the battery pack 614 to the instrument 602or upon removal of the surgical instrument 602 from the instrument 602.In some embodiments, the cells 612 may deliver sufficient power and/orthe resistive element 620 may be designed such that discharge switch 618may be closed while the instrument 602 is in use.

FIG. 49 illustrates an alternate embodiment of the battery pack 600 andsurgical instrument 602 shown in FIG. 48. As illustrated in FIG. 49, theswitch 614 may comprise at least one open portion 622 and at least onecontactor 624. As illustrated, the at least one contactor 624 may be apart of the surgical instrument 602. In this way, the cells 612 may beelectrically connected to one another when the battery pack 600 isinstalled to the surgical instrument 602, bringing the at least oneconnector portion in electrical contact with the at least one openportion 622.

FIG. 50 illustrates another embodiment of the battery pack 600 of FIG.48. As illustrated in FIG. 50, the switch 614, is implemented with anopen portion 634, a contactor 636 and a movable tab 631. The contactor636 may be mechanically biased against the open portion 634, forexample, by a spring 630. The movable tab 631 may be positioned betweenthe open portion 634 and the contactor 636. The movable tab 631 may bemade from an insulating material, such as plastic. In this way, thecells 612 may not be electrically connected to one another when themovable tab 631 is in place. When the battery pack 600 is ready for use,the tab 631 may be removed, for example, by the clinician. When the tab631 is removed, the contactor 636 may be mechanically pushed intoelectrical contact with the open portion 634, resulting in theelectrical connection of the cells 612 to one another. According tovarious embodiments, the tab 631 may comprise a portion 632 configuredto be received by a corresponding portion 638 of the surgicalinstrument. When the battery pack 600 is installed to the instrument,the portion 638 of the surgical instrument 602 may contact the tab 631,tending to remove it from between the open portion 634 and the contactor636. The tab 631 may be made from a polymer or any suitable electricallyinsulating material. Also, according to various embodiments, the tab 631may have a thickness of about 1 mil.

FIGS. 51-53 illustrate one mechanical embodiment of a battery pack 700implementing the schematic of the battery pack 600 shown in FIG. 48. Thebattery pack 700 comprises a casing 707 having therein a battery 703comprising a plurality of cells that can be interconnected to oneanother by connecting contacts 708, 710. A discharge switch 712 may,when in the closed position, connect a resistive element 714 across theterminals of the cells 703, causing them to discharge. The battery pack700 may comprise a pair of contacts 706, 704 positioned on a switchplatform 716. The contactors 706, 704 may have an open position shown inFIG. 51 and a closed position. In the closed position, the contactors706, 704 may be placed in electrical contact with the contacts 708, 710,causing the cells 703 to be interconnected to one another. Collectively,the switch platform 716, contacts 708, 710, and contactors 704, 706 mayform a switch. According to various embodiment, when the switch isclosed (e.g., the contactors 704, 706 are in contact with the contacts708, 710), the cells of the battery 703 may electrically interconnected.

The switch platform 716 may be coupled to a clutch 705 comprising a pairof locking mechanisms 702. In the position shown in FIG. 51, the clutch(including locking mechanisms 702) is engaged, holding the switchplatform 716 in the open position. The battery pack 700 may alsocomprise a discharge switch 712. In a closed position, the dischargeswitch 712 may switch a resistive element 714 across the anode and thecathode of the cells 703, causing the cells to discharge. As illustratedin FIG. 51, the discharge switch may be mechanically biased to theclosed position by a spring 718. The bias of the spring 718, however,may be overcome by a stopper 720 in contact with a movable portion orpanel 722 of the casing 707.

FIG. 52 illustrates a configuration of the battery pack 700 of FIG. 51upon insertion into a surgical instrument 750, illustrated incross-section. The battery pack 700 may be inserted into a cavity 754defined by the instrument 750. The cavity 754 may be positioned at anyportion of the instrument 750 including, in various embodiments, at ahandle portion. The cavity 754 may comprise a pair of contacts 756, 758that may be aligned with contactors 706, 708. The battery pack 700 maybe inserted into the instrument 750 in the direction of arrow 753. Asthe battery pack 700 is inserted, contactors 706, 704 may come intocontact with the contacts 756, 758. This may force the contactors 706,708, and the switch platform 716 toward the contacts 708, 710 such thatthe contactors 706, 704 are in electrical communication with thecontacts 710, 708 and the contacts 756, 758, which may cause the cellsof the battery 703 to be interconnected and connected to the instrument750.

According to various embodiments, pressure from the contacts 756, 758may overcome the force of the clutch 705, disengaging the lockmechanisms 702, allowing the switch platform 716 to translate towardsthe contacts 708, 710. Also, in various embodiments, a portion of aninterior of the cavity 754 may comprise one or more keyed portions 760,764 that are aligned with one or more receptacles 762, 766 associated(e.g., mechanically or electronically) with the lock mechanisms 702.When the keyed portions 760, 764 come into contact with the receptacles762, 766, the clutch 705 lock mechanisms 702 may be enabled todisengage, allowing the switch platform 716 to assume the positionillustrated in FIG. 52. According to various embodiments, after theswitch platform 716 assumes the position illustrated in FIG. 52, thelock mechanisms 702 may re-engage, locking the switch platform 716 inplace. According to various embodiments, this may make it difficult forthe battery pack 700 to lose electrical connectivity with the instrument750 after insertion.

The interior of the cavity 754 may also comprise a feature 752 (e.g., anextension), for contacting the panel 722. For example, as the batterypack 700 is inserted into the cavity 754, the extension 752 may contactthe panel 722, sliding it in the direction of arrow 755 and allowing thestopper 720 to protrude through the casing 707 (e.g., because of thebiasing of the spring 718). According to various embodiments, thestopper 720 may contact the interior wall of the cavity 754, preventingthe discharge switch 712 from being closed. FIG. 53 illustrated oneembodiment of the battery pack 700 after removal from the surgicalinstrument 750. The switch platform 716 may be locked by the lockmechanisms 702 into the same position shown in FIG. 52. Also, within theinterior wall of the cavity 754, the stopper 720 may protrude from thecasing 707 by an amount suitable to close the discharge switch 712. Thismay cause the battery 703 to discharge.

FIGS. 54-61 illustrate another mechanical embodiment of a battery pack800 implementing the schematic of the battery pack 600 shown in FIG. 48.The battery pack 800 may comprise a casing 802 defining an interiorcavity 810. The casing 802 may be covered by a cap 804 that may besecured to the casing 802 utilizing one or more mechanical latches 806,808. FIG. 55 illustrates one embodiment of the battery pack 800 with thecap 804 removed to show a plurality of cells 812 within. Any suitablenumber and/or type of cells 812 may be used. For example, CR123 and/orCR2 cells may be used. FIG. 56 illustrates one embodiment of the batterypack 800 with a portion of the casing 802 removed to reveal the cells812.

FIG. 57 illustrates a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of thebattery pack 800 including a battery drain 814. The battery drain 814may be positioned within the interior cavity 810 and may be slidablewithin the interior cavity 810 in the directions of arrow 815. The drain814 may comprise at least two contacts 818, 816. A portion of thecontacts 818, 816 may touch wall 826 of the interior cavity 810.According to various embodiments, the contacts 816, 818 may be biased toexert a force against the walls 826 in order to resist movement of thedrain 814 in the direction of the arrows 815. Also, in some embodiments,the walls 826 may define one or more protrusions or catch members 828shaped to be received by a portion of one or more of the contacts 816,818 to hold the drain 814 at a first position, as shown in FIG. 57.Additionally, the walls 826 may define one or more electrodes 824. Theelectrodes 824 may be wired to the cells 812, such that making anelectrical connection across the electrodes 824 may short the positiveand negative electrodes of the cells 812.

The contacts 816, 818 of the drain 814 may be coupled at a base portion820 of the drain 814. According to various embodiments, the contacts816, 818 may be electrically shorted to one another, or may beelectrically connected to one another via a resistive element 822. FIG.58 illustrates one embodiment of the battery pack 800 being installed toa surgical instrument 850. The surgical instrument 850 may comprise anextending member 852 configured to be received into the interior cavity810. The extending member 854 may comprise one or more electrodes 854positioned to contact electrodes 855 of the battery pack 800 when themember 854 is completely installed. In this way, the cells 812 of thebattery pack 800 may provide electrical power to the instrument 830 viathe electrodes 854, 855.

As the member 852 is inserted into the interior cavity 810, it maycontact the battery drain 820 and force it along the interior cavity 810in the direction of the arrow 857. For example, the force provided tothe battery drain 820 by the member 852 may overcome the drain'sresistance to movement provided by the contacts 816, 818, for example,in conjunction with the catch members 828. When completely installed, asshown in FIG. 59, the member 852 may push the drain 814 into the cavity810 until the contacts 816, 818 come into electrical contact with theelectrodes 824. This may either short the cells 812 or electricallyconnect them across the resistive element 822. When the battery pack 800is uninstalled from the instrument 850, the member 852 may be removedfrom the cavity 810. The drain 814, however, may remain in the positionshown in FIG. 59. In this way, the cells 812 may drain any remainingcharge across the resistive element 822 either before or duringdisposal. This may, for example, minimize the power of any accidentaldischarges during disposal.

FIGS. 60 and 61 illustrates one embodiment of the battery drain 814removed from the casing 802. As illustrated, the drain 814 may comprisetwo sets of contacts 818, 816 and 818′, 816′. The base 820 may define acentral portion 830 between the two sets of contacts 816, 818, 816′,818′. According to various embodiments, the central portion 830 may beconfigured to contact the member 852, as illustrated in FIGS. 58-59.Referring now to FIG. 61, resistive elements 822 are shown mounted tothe base 820. The resistive elements 822 may be elements of any suitableresistance value and any suitable mechanical configuration. For example,as illustrated in FIG. 61, the resistive elements 822 may comprise oneor more surface-mount components.

It is to be understood that at least some of the figures anddescriptions herein have been simplified to illustrate elements that arerelevant for a clear understanding of the disclosure, while eliminating,for purposes of clarity, other elements. Those of ordinary skill in theart will recognize, however, that these and other elements may bedesirable. However, because such elements are well known in the art, andbecause they do not facilitate a better understanding of the disclosure,a discussion of such elements is not provided herein.

While several embodiments have been described, it should be apparent,however, that various modifications, alterations and adaptations tothose embodiments may occur to persons skilled in the art with theattainment of some or all of the advantages of the disclosure. Forexample, according to various embodiments, a single component may bereplaced by multiple components, and multiple components may be replacedby a single component, to perform a given function or functions. Thisapplication is therefore intended to cover all such modifications,alterations and adaptations without departing from the scope and spiritof the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

Any patent, publication, or other disclosure material, in whole or inpart, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein isincorporated herein only to the extent that the incorporated materialsdoes not conflict with existing definitions, statements, or otherdisclosure material set forth in this disclosure. As such, and to theextent necessary, the disclosure as explicitly set forth hereinsupersedes any conflicting material incorporated herein by reference.Any material, or portion thereof, that is said to be incorporated byreference herein, but which conflicts with existing definitions,statements, or other disclosure material set forth herein will only beincorporated to the extent that no conflict arises between thatincorporated material and the existing disclosure material.

What is claimed is:
 1. A surgical instrument system, comprising: asurgical instrument, comprising: a first electrical contact; and asecond electrical contact; and a battery pack, comprising: a firstindependent battery cell; and a second independent battery cell, whereinthe assembly of said battery pack to said surgical instrument isconfigured to selectively place said first independent battery cell inelectrical communication with one of said first contact and said secondcontact, said second independent battery cell in electricalcommunication with the other one of said first contact and said secondcontact, and said first independent battery cell in electricalcommunication with said second independent battery cell.
 2. The surgicalinstrument system of claim 1, further comprising a staple cartridge. 3.A surgical instrument system, comprising: a surgical instrumentcomprising an open electrical circuit; and a battery pack comprising aplurality of battery cells, wherein the assembly of said battery pack tosaid surgical instrument is configured to close said electrical circuit,and wherein said battery pack comprises a switch configured toselectively apply a voltage potential to said electrical circuit.
 4. Thesurgical instrument system of claim 3, wherein said switch comprises asolid state switch.
 5. The surgical instrument system of claim 3,further comprising a staple cartridge.
 6. A surgical instrument system,comprising: a surgical instrument comprising an open electrical circuit;and a battery pack comprising a plurality of battery cells, wherein theassembly of said battery pack to said surgical instrument is configuredto close said electrical circuit, and wherein said battery packcomprises a switch configured to selectively apply a voltagedifferential to said electrical circuit.
 7. The surgical instrumentsystem of claim 6, wherein said switch comprises a solid state switch.8. The surgical instrument system of claim 6, wherein said surgicalinstrument comprises a key configured to operate said switch.
 9. Asurgical instrument system, comprising: a surgical instrument comprisingan open electrical circuit; and a battery pack comprising a plurality ofbattery cells, wherein the assembly of said battery pack to saidsurgical instrument is configured to close said electrical circuit, andwherein said battery pack comprises a switch configured to adapt avoltage potential to said electrical circuit.
 10. The surgicalinstrument system of claim 9, wherein said switch comprises a solidstate switch.
 11. The surgical instrument system of claim 9, furthercomprising a staple cartridge.
 12. A surgical instrument system,comprising: a surgical instrument comprising an open electrical circuit;and a battery pack, comprising: at least one battery cell; and a drain,wherein the assembly of said battery pack to said surgical instrument isconfigured to close said electrical circuit and to place said drain inelectrical communication with said at least one battery cell.
 13. Thesurgical instrument system of claim 12, wherein said at least onebattery cell has a quantity of power stored therein, wherein a useportion of said power is used to operate said surgical instrument, andwherein a remainder portion of said power is dissipated by said drain.14. The surgical instrument system of claim 13, wherein said at leastone battery cell comprises more than two lithium-ion cells.
 15. Thesurgical instrument system of claim 12, wherein said at least onebattery cell comprises a first battery cell and a second battery cell,and wherein the assembly of said battery pack to said surgicalinstrument electrically couples said first battery cell to said secondbattery cell.
 16. The surgical instrument system of claim 12, furthercomprising a staple cartridge.
 17. A surgical instrument system,comprising: a surgical instrument, comprising: a firing member; a motorconfigured to drive said firing member; and an open electrical circuit;and a battery pack, comprising: a first lithium-ion battery cell; asecond lithium-ion battery cell; a drain; means for closing saidelectrical circuit when said battery pack is assembled to said surgicalinstrument; means for placing said first lithium-ion cell in electricalcommunication with said electrical circuit when said battery pack isassembled to said surgical instrument; means for placing said secondlithium-ion cell in electrical communication with said first lithium-ioncell when said battery pack is assembled to said surgical instrument;and means for placing said drain in electrical communication with one ofsaid first lithium-ion cell and said second lithium-ion cell when saidbattery pack is assembled to said surgical instrument.
 18. The surgicalinstrument system of claim 16, further comprising a staple cartridge.19. A surgical instrument system, comprising: a surgical instrument,comprising: a firing member; a motor configured to drive said firingmember; an open electrical circuit; and a plurality of electricalcontacts; and a battery pack, comprising: a plurality of battery cells,wherein the assembly of said battery pack to said surgical instrument isconfigured to close said electrical circuit such that said motor canselectively draw power from said battery cells; and means forselectively orienting and applying a voltage potential to a saidelectrical contact.
 20. The surgical instrument system of claim 19,further comprising a staple cartridge.